Mind Altering
by OhTex
Summary: The first adventure is always unusual. Mostly 11th/OC friendship with the tiniest hint of romance . COMPLETE!
1. I

A/N: I've decided to do this one in two parts as it's much longer than I planned! Fred has her first adventure with the Doctor (continuing on from 'Mind Squeeze').

Mind Altering

'Are you _sure_ it's not on fire?' Fred asked the Doctor. She was led almost flat on her stomach, her hand hovering over the dusty ground.

'Of course! It's definitely not on fire. Always trust a doctor.' The Doctor was leaning casually against the T.A.R.D.I.S, waving around his sonic screwdriver in an effort to detect, well, anything. The planet the T.A.R.D.I.S had taken them seemed to be utterly deserted. The Doctor knew for a fact this wasn't possible; at least he was pretty sure it wasn't. It was hard to think when Fred was waving her hand above the ground and asking if it was on fire. He was already beginning to feel that he might have been better off alone.

'Are you absolutely positive is not on fire?'

'Oh, for crying out loud!' The Doctor lowered his sonic screwdriver and glared at his new companion. 'Yes! I'm sure! It's just heat waves!'

'Hmm.' Fred wasn't convinced but she pushed herself up and dropped the matter. 'Why is it so hot here?'

'It is a bit toasty, isn't it?' The Doctor confirmed, pulling off his jacket and slinging it over his arm. He held his hand up to his eyes to protect them from the beaming sunlight. There was nothing in sight. Just plains of reddish brown dust as far as the eye could see. 'Come on, then.' He said to Fred, tucking his sonic screwdriver into his jacket pocket. 'Let's see if we can find someone to turn down the heating.'

'Doctor?' Fred asked, almost jogging to keep up with his considerably longer strides.

'Yes?'

'Where are we?'

'Ah!' the Doctor waggled a finger and grinned. 'That, I can answer! We are on the planetParum Terra! Population estimate is over 6 ½ billion and yet...' he trailed off. 'There is no one in sight. Now why is that?'

He glanced at Fred, who was attempting to fan herself and get a grip on the situation. 'So we're on another planet? We're somewhere in the universe? Somewhere that's not Earth?'

'Yes!' He confirmed, his patience now wearing thin. He had really hoped that she had got over this phase yesterday when he spent all of his time showing her the classic shots of the Moon, Earth, Jupiter; all the greats. The Doctor often relied on them to just confirm that he wasn't mad and the T.A.R.D.I.S really wasn't just a Police Box. For a while, she even suggested that he had made some models of the planets to trick her. He pointed out that it wasn't April Fools' Day and that it really was all real. It didn't normally take as long as it did yesterday. Yesterday! Usually, the Doctor would have gone straight into some space travel (maybe even time travel!) but they had both been so exhausted after the hours of convincing she had needed that they slept for a few hours before he woke and announced that he was going to punch in some co-ordinates and see where they ended up. Finally, she was excited and he thought she was over the _'I-don't-believe-anything-you-say-even-if-I-really-REALLY-want-to'_ phase. Or so he thought. She seemed to be slipping back into it now. Oh, he really hoped not! In every companion, that phase went thus for the Doctor: fun for ten minutes (secretly, he loved that time where he had to convince them it was all true), then cute for five (bless them! They really had no idea!), then smug for twenty (he really WAS a Time Lord and had a time/space travel machine) and then a mutual acceptance between them that said companion was one of the few people on Earth who could explore new worlds beyond their own and the Doctor would be the one to show them. Then it was down to some good, old fashioned exploring.

'Wow. This is...just...mad.' Fred twirled around, scanning their surroundings.

'It's mad because there's nothing around and this planet is highly populated. I mean...' he waved his arms, gesturing toward the horizon. 'There is nothing here!'

'Then what's that?' Fred said as she staggered backwards in an attempt to keep up with the Doctor's long legs. Curse her lack of height. The Doctor wheeled around and sure enough, there was a stone building; it was way in the distance but the Doctor was so glad to see some sort of life, he could cope with the long walk in the glaring sun.

'Perhaps you'll be useful after all!' he cried happily, taking Fred's arm and leading her towards the building. He starting striding, excited by the prospect of something to explore. 'Right! The year is 2010, the same as on Earth. I thought we'd do some space rather time travel first; that can be a bit much for a first go. Anyway! The year is 2010 here but there could be some very advanced technology compared to Earth not that that'd be hard. You know, you lot are really...' he trailed off, realising that she hadn't butted in and defended the human race like he had expected her to do. He turned to her but was met with thin air. How had he lost her already? Oh, it wasn't his fault this time, was it? He frantically whipped around and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her a few metres behind his walking very slowly. He rolled his eyes.

'C'mon, Fred! What's taking so long?' He called and she looked up and glared. She finally reached him, not looking happy. He was shocked. 'It's your first time on another planet and you're already frowning! What's wrong with you?'

She huffed. 'One, your strides are way too long for my little legs to keep up with. Two, why didn't you tell me that we'd be going to a desert planet? It's murder trying to walk across dusty sandy stuff in these.' She waved her feet at him. Ah. She was still wearing those pale blue retro heels she had been wearing when he first met her. She studied her.

'You have got little legs, haven't you?' He said, grinning.

'Oh, I'm glad you find my legs amusing. Just the thing a girl wants to hear.'

'Well, why don't you just take them off?' he asked, shrugging.

'Can you do that? Well, humans can't.'

'What? No! Not your legs; your shoes!'

'Oh!' she shook her head. 'I tried that. The sand's boiling.'

'Is it?' He peered down at it. It didn't look too bad. He tutted, pulled off one of his boots and a sock and pushed his foot into the sand. He met her gaze. 'See? It's fi – ow! Ow, ow!' He winced and pushed his foot back into smooth, cool boot gratefully. 'It's hot.'

'I know!' she sighed. 'That's what I just said. This might all be baffling to me but I'm not completely stupid.'

He looked at her and then at his sock still led on the sand. 'Do want my socks? That might work! Hang on.'

Before she could respond, he pulled off his other boot and sock and then pushed his foot back into the boot. He held out both socks with a grin. 'There you are! Take your shoes off and wear my socks. They're quite thick. They're pretty good socks actually, can't remember where I got them from. Maybe it was when – '

'Yes! OK. Thank you.' She took the socks quickly before he could launch into an anecdote about his socks. She took off her shoes and pulled on the sock over her white lace tights. Hmm. Not as stylish as she may have hoped but her feet didn't burn anymore. She left her shoes on the sand. By the looks of her surroundings, she doubted many people were around to take them. She wiggled her toes in the large socks and grinned. He grinned too.

'See? Problem solved! Brilliant start! Onwards!'

It took them the best part of an hour to reach the stone building, the Doctor babbling madly about this and that, occasionally picking up a handful of sand, pulling out his sonic screwdriver, starting to scan it before wincing and cursing and letting the sand slip through his fingers; small red burn marks dotted over his large hands. He examined his palms.

'This sand isn't sand. It's different. It shouldn't have that sort of temperature...oh!' Fred followed the Doctor's gaze and found herself watching a man in a toga lean against the stone building.

'It looks like Ancient Rome.' She remarked, peering around the Doctor at the man.

'It seems that we have landed an undeveloped planet. The life is very primitive much like Earth's many years ago.' He seemed excited.

'Right. Why is that so exciting?'

'When something is undeveloped, there's usually a reason for it. You know, massive debt, lack of natural resources, strong influences from other planets that sort of thing.' He beamed. 'I wonder why Parum Terra is so lacking in advancement.'

Before she could respond, the Doctor marched toward the man.

'Hello, there! What's this then?' He looked at the man expectantly and placed one hand on the building, patting the stone as though it were an old friend.

'Cafe.' The man responded as though he were stupid. Fred blinked. She hadn't been expecting that. She looked to the Doctor, expecting him to be surprised by this news but he just seemed even more excited.

'Is it really?' He exclaimed. 'How amazing! Shall we go in?' he asked over his shoulder at Fred who nodded, still baffled by this new turn of events. Just as the Doctor was about to enter the cafe, he stopped suddenly sending Fred crashing into his back.

'This wall is cold but it gets hotter the closer you get to the ground.' He slid his hand up and down the wall a few times before turning to Fred and asking 'Why?'

'I don't know.' She replied, feeling like he had put her on the spot.

'Just tell me one reason. Give me the first reason that comes into your head.'

She floundered. 'Um...the sun is low in the sky?'

He laughed. 'Nope. Try again. Think. Notice everything. Look at your feet. '

She flushed, embarrassed by her ignorance and angry at the Doctor for making her feel like she was back at school. She was about to give up when a thought came to her.

'Because the heat is coming from the bottom of the building rather than the top.'

The Doctor nodded. 'So...?' he encouraged.

'So...the heat isn't coming from the sun. It's coming from the ground.'

'Yes!' He exclaimed. 'Brilliant!' She beamed, feeling pleased with herself. 'C'mon. Let's go inside and test our theory.'

They entered the cafe and saw that was exactly what it was: a greasy cafe selling teas and coffees from polystyrene cups and bacon butties. Fred couldn't believe her eyes. She only realised she had been stood stock still in the doorway when the Doctor grabbed her hand and yanked her in. They sat down at a table near the window and Fred saw both worlds collide: the Ancient Rome style desert and the modern, greasy cafe collided so vibrantly if almost heard her eyes. There were other men and women in the cafe dressed in the same sort of attire as the man outside. To Fred's surprise, they only glanced at her and the Doctor's state of dress before resuming their conversations. The Doctor sat across from her and studied her with a grin on his face.

'Isn't this intriguing? Modern technology meets ancient landscapes. There must be some sort of theatre production about this sort of thing.' He waved his arm in the air and a waitress came over to their table.

'What can I get for your today?' she asked in false enthusiasm.

'Ooh! Well, I don't know what you've got. Tell me what's good!'

'Wha'?' The waitress asked, frowning.

Fred watched the encounter, her gaze flickering from the Doctor to the waitress and then back again. She had no idea how he had the guts to be so...open. He was so loud and obviously weird and she couldn't help but admire him for it. While she pondered him, the Doctor himself was continuing his conversation with the waitress.

'Just tell me what you like from the menu! What's popular? What do people buy?'

She waitress sighed and chewed the gum in her mouth. 'Well, people like coffee, tea and cherry-ade. A lot of people on dates like to have a milkshake with two straws.' The waitress glanced between the two of them and Fred suddenly realised what she was insinuating. She laughed nervously, embarrassed.

'Erm...we're not – '

'What else?' the Doctor cut across smoothly a silly grin on his face and seemingly amused by the waitress' first impression of them. 'What do people buy loads of?'

'Well...' the waitress started chewing again. 'They like bacon butties and chips and fried breakfasts and _Gauisus Diripio_ and pasties – '

The Doctor's face fell. Suddenly, he didn't look excited. He looked alarmed and Fred felt a tingle up her spine. Something wasn't right here and she could tell just by watching the Doctor.

'What did you say? Say that last thing again.' Fred had never seen him like this. Admittedly, she had only known him for about a day and a half but it was hard to ever imagine the jolly Doctor she met could ever be serious or alarmed.

'Pasties?'

'No, no, no! The thing before pasties. What was that?'

'_Gauisus Diripio_?'

'Yes! That! What is that?'

'You dunno what _Gauisus Diripio_ is?' The waitress was frowning and twirling the gum in her mouth, as though she thought he was trying to be funny. Fred watched as the Doctor hesitated and found herself wishing that she could be privy to what he was thinking. The Doctor's face broke into a huge smile.

'Oh!_Gauisus Diripio_! Sure! What am I like? We'll have two please. Oh, and two cups of tea!' The waitress nodded, scribbled something down her notepad and toddled off towards the counter.

Fred waited until she was out of earshot before leaning over the table and muttering, 'What's _Gauisus Diripio_?'

'No idea.' The Doctor said grimly. Fred watched him frown as he fiddled with the sugar on the table and had an urge to slap him or pour the sugar in his face or something – anything – to wipe that worried look off his face. Fred couldn't bare it so she settled for quizzing him instead.

'Why are you worried? I mean, we're on another planet, aren't we? There's bound to be things we've never heard of before!'

The Doctor shook his head. 'No; this is different. She spoke another language, yes?' Fred nodded. 'But only for that word, yes?' She nodded again. 'Well, the T.A.R.D.I.S can translate all languages so we can understand them as though they are our own.'

'Yeah, but she was saying something that belonged here, wasn't she? If it only exists here then it'll have no translation will it?'

The Doctor shook his head again. 'No. She said something that we would normally recognise; something that didn't get translated. How? It isn't possible; unless there's something wrong.'

'Wrong with what?' Fred asked, starting share his worry.

'Well that's the question, isn't it? There's either something wrong with this planet or...' he trailed off and gazed out of the window. 'Or there's something wrong with the T.A.R.D.I.S.' He met her gaze again. 'And we'd better find out.'

'Here's your tea and your _Gauisus Diripio._' The waitress had returned and was placing two steaming cups of tea and a saucer with two _Gauisus Diripio._ She turned on her heel and wandered over to another table.

Both the Doctor and Fred squinted at the saucer. The _Gauisus Diripio_ were both individually wrapped and were rectangular in shape. The Doctor picked one up and Fred followed suit. She studied it before:

'Isn't this just a chewing gum?'

The Doctor's eyes lit up. 'Yes, it is a chewing gum but I've got a feeling there's no 'just' about it.' He was beaming again, happiness restored.

'What's put you back to your jolly self?'

He thrust the _Gauisus Diripio_ at her. 'This! This is what's wrong. This! Not the T.A.R.D.I.S!' He let out a sigh of relief.

'Well, that's good but there's still something wrong isn't there? I mean this stuff combined with the weird time difference between the place and the technology and the heat...well, it's just so...weird.' Fred made a face.

'Yep! But it'll be fun to find out!' He unwrapped the _Gauisus Diripio_ and popped it into his mouth, happily chewing away.

'Doctor!' Fred cried, wide eyed. 'What the hell are you doing?! We have no idea what it is!'

He shrugged. 'All the more reason to try it! Go on then.' He gestured to her.

Fred unwrapped it, eyed it cautiously before pushing into her mouth with a wince. Her wince soon disappeared when the flavour hit her taste buds. It was delicious! The intense flavour of freshly picked raspberries filled Fred's mouth as though she had just stuffed a handful in. The flavour reached around every corner, every crevice of her mouth before disappearing as soon as it came. Fred was left with tasteless gum. She looked across at the Doctor who was grinning.

'That was amazing!' she said to him with a grin. 'No wonder people keep buying them.'

'I take it that's the point.' He replied, studying the wrapper before calling over the waitress. 'Hi. Do you know where the nearest town is?'

'Sure. It's up there.' She gestured out of the window at the sandy plains. 'Up there for about 14 miles.'

'Ah. Know any way we can get there?'

'There's a bus in ten minutes. Stops right outside here.' She nodded to the door and left again. The Doctor turned to Fred, grinning.

'Right then! We've got ourselves a little mission. Let's go and see what the planet's leaders are up to!'

'Wow. Hang on. A bus?'

* * *

Part 2 coming up soon...


	2. II

A/N: The second and final part (apologies for my poor Latin)...

Mind Altering - Part II

It was London. There was no escaping it. Fred had tried to find something different about it and had failed. She stood on the pavement as the bus pulled away, the Doctor beside her pointing out buildings and chuckling.

'Well, this is quite something. Modern London next to Ancient Rome.'

'Why and...how?' Fred asked, baffled.

'No idea...but there's something very good about this. We know where all of the leaders are! Parliament! If it really is like London they should be...that way!' The Doctor spun around, beaming with excitement. 'C'mon! Let's not dilly-dally.'

Fred half-jogged to keep up with him. 'Doctor? Don't you think we should find out what's going on before we go storming in there? We have no _captus_ - '

The Doctor stopped and wheeled around to face her. 'Oh-ho! What did you just say?'

'I was just saying that we have no idea - '

'But that wasn't what you said was it?'

'Yes, it was.'

'No, it wasn't.'

'Was.'

'Wasn't.'

'Yes! It was!'

'It was what you meant to say! You said cappy-something. It's this.' He pulled the gum from his mouth and Fred made a face at it. 'This has affected you little brain box and it's making your language and this language mix.'

Fred opened her mouth but was cut off by an old man muttering to himself as he walked past:

'_Leviculus salutor. Votum_ they would _licentia quod nunquam redeo._'

The Doctor and Fred watched as the man struggled past. 'So...what?' Fred asked, turning back to the Doctor. 'The longer you stay here and the more of this gum you have, the more of the language you speak?'

'Seems so.' The Doctor sighed and seemed pensive before looking up and gesturing to a cafe. 'Let's have some tea and think about this.'

***

Fred slurped her second cup of tea, happy to be out of the blazing sun and in this air-conditioned cafe surrounded by people who looked like everyday people from London. A welcome relief from the bizarre things she had been encountering.

'Right.' The Doctor said, straightening up in his chair opposite her. 'So we've got Ancient Rome, custard flavoured language chewing gum, modern London...what else?'

'Weird sand. And what do you mean 'custard flavoured'? Did you have a different flavour?'

'What flavour was yours?'

'Raspberry. Which is weird because it's my favourite.'

'Really? Custard's mine too...' he drifted off for a moment and Fred watched him, fascinated before he slammed his hand down on the table making her jump. 'Got it! So this _Gauisus Diripio_ is created to be everyone's favourite flavour. Why?'

'To make them keep buying it.' Fred replied immediately through a mouth of biscuit. She had come to term with the fact that she would never be deemed 'skinny' a while ago and was now embracing biscuits with open arms.

'Exactly! To keep them docile. But why? Why do you _need_ to keep them docile? What's this planet hiding?'

'Weird sand.'

'It must be some sort of corrupt system. Someone at the top is up to something.'

'Weird sand.'

'How do you get to Parliament from here?'

'Weird sand.'

'Will you stop talking about...yeah! That sand was weird wasn't it?' The Doctor was looking pensive. 'It's no good. I've not seen anything like it before.'

'It was sort of...powdery. Not like real sand. It was like...' Fred trailed off, trying to think of the right words.

'Go on.' The Doctor encouraged, eyes shining. 'What was it like? Remember it. Squeeze your mind.'

'It was sort of...like a bad imitation of sand. Like someone had tried to make sand but hadn't - '

'...hadn't got it quite right!' The Doctor finished, triumphantly. 'We are BRILLIANT! C'mon! To Parliament!'

***

It took them almost two hours to find the Houses of Parliament. Evidently, geography was not the Doctor's best subject. Fred was ashamed to say that she was no use either. She had only been to London a handful of times and had a bad memory for streets and buildings. The Doctor stood and stared at the colossal building for a while. Fred tried to wait patiently but found that she really didn't have it in her.

'Doctor? What are we hoping to find here? And how are we going to get in?'

'Oh, that's easy. We'll use my psychic paper.'

'What, that stuff you used on that cranky old bus? What is that?'

'Well, basically, in a nutshell...I think it, it comes up on the paper. Simple.'

'Oh.' Fred said, surprised by the simplicity of this idea. 'Right. Great. Do you have an answer to my first question?'

'What are we hoping to find? Hmm. Trickier. An alien. An evil genius. An evil, alien genius, maybe. Ooh, that wouldn't be good. Suppose we'd better find out.' Without anymore explanation, the Doctor began striding toward the entrance of the building. Just before the main entrance, he stopped suddenly and looked around him.

'What are those?' He pointed to a small, grey device on the wall. He glanced around again. 'Look! They're everywhere! What are they?'

'I dunno.' Fred said, squinting at them. 'They look like speakers.'

'Speakers?'

'Yeah, you know. Loads of towns and cities use them for notices like 'don't leave any unattended baggage' and things like that.'

'Oh yes!' The Doctor beamed. 'Oh, this'll be good! C'mon! We're going to bring down this government. I feel like an anarchist!'

***

Fred was wary of being caught out. The Doctor's psychic paper had got them into the building but the place was still crawling with security. His unpredictable ways were beginning to take their toll on Fred and she was afraid that they both looked suspicious. The Doctor was wandering here and there, then changing direction and then back again. Thankfully, he stopped striding about, glanced around shiftily before reaching over an empty security desk and fiddling with some wires.

'Doctor? What - '

'Shhh!' he hissed. 'Cover me!' Fred stood in front of him for all the good it did due to their difference in height. She heard the whirring of his sonic screwdriver and then a triumphant yelp. 'Yes! It'll be broadcasting at a flick of a switch!' He emerged from behind the desk clutching a tiny plastic microphone. He grinned at Fred. 'I have a theory! And a plan! Well, a sort of plan. We just need to find the Prime Minister.' With that, he was striding again, this way and that, up steps then back down and through the same door, then another door, up steps, through a new door then:

'Doctor! Stop!' she grabbed his arm and pulled him to a halt in a wood panelled corridor. 'Tell me what's going on. What's your theory?'

'My theory? Ah, good old theories! Can get you a lot of places, theories can. This one is particularly good. Well...'

'Doctor.' Fred interrupted, spotting a man over the Doctor's shoulder. 'He looks pretty important.'

The Doctor whipped around, spying a middle aged man with greying hair marching down the wood panelled corridor in the distance, protected by two burly security officers.

'Aha!' The Doctor grinned. 'Just the ticket. Excuse me!' He called to the man who promptly stopped and glared at the Doctor.

'Yes?' The man hissed, his voice a touch too high for his stature.

'I was just wondering when my meeting with the Prime Minister will get underway.' Fred couldn't help but admire the Doctor's smooth blagging.

'I have no meetings scheduled this morning. You must be mistaken.'

'You're the Prime Minister? What a joy to meet you!' The Doctor made to shake his hand but the security guards stepped in front of the Prime Minister.

'What is it you wanted?' The Prime Minister asked.

'I believe you wanted to replenish your supply of these?' Fred intervened smoothly, pulling out the wrapper of her _Gauisus Diripio_ out of her pocket. The Prime Ministers face fell and he beckoned them into his office. Fred risked a glance at the Doctor who was grinning broadly as he entered the Prime Minister's office and took a seat without being invited to do so. Fred leaned against the wall to his right, terrified and excited by their improvisation and possible events to come. As she passed him, the slid something into her pocket and muttered,

'When I give you a wink, switch it on.'

'I was expecting you until tomorrow.' The Prime Minister began as he sat down opposite the Doctor. 'I need some sort of identification. I can't just take your word for it. This is a dangerous business.' Fred felt panic build up inside her until the Doctor grinned, pulled his psychic paper and gave it the Prime Minister with a flourish.

'I'm the Doctor, by the way. This is my good friend Fred.' Fred felt the tension in her shoulders ease, reassured by the Doctor's relaxed attitude. The Prime Minister stared at the paper for a moment before breaking into spontaneous laughter.

'How wonderful!' He said, wiping his eyes. 'This is alien technology, isn't it? I've seen something like this before but nothing so convincing. It must be very advanced; it had me going for a moment before I fought it off.'

'Ah!' To Fred's bafflement, the Doctor still seemed completely relaxed. 'Can't kid a kidder, eh?' He said, grinning and taking the paper back from the Prime Minister. The Doctor pulled out the _Gauisus Diripio_ wrapper from his pocket. 'So what is this stuff? Some sort of mind altering gum? Willy Wonka would love you.'

'What makes you think I would tell you, stranger? You have discovered my little secret. Congratulations. I commend you for your excellent detective work but I'm afraid it's done you more harm than good.'

'C'mon!' The Doctor said. 'Give me a clue. You're dishing these out to your people so they start speaking another language and they are all docile and not taking a blind bit of notice to all of the varying aspects of time merging together. That much I know. But you've replicated the human race. Why? Why do that?'

The Prime Minister eyed him before standing and looking out of the large window behind his desk. 'You are already dead, Doctor. What's a five more minutes to your sentence?'

While the Prime Minister studied the people outside through the window, the Doctor glanced at Fred and winked. With a trembling hand, she reached into her pocket and flicked the switch with a wince expecting explosions, gunshots and holes in time and space. The works. After two seconds, Fred opened her eyes and relaxed. Everything was how it had been.

'Very well,' The Prime Minister was saying. 'I shall answer your question. This is planet Earth. My planet Earth. My race is small and we have often observed these...humans.' He eyed Fred this time who shifted uncomfortably against the wall. 'I have created all of my favourite parts of human history and merged them onto one planet. Quite a spectacle don't you agree, Doctor?'

'But why?' The Doctor asked, frowning. 'How have you recreated the human race?'

The Prime Minister laughed and threw his head back. 'Oh, Doctor! You don't think I've honestly recreated an entire race, do you? No, no. You give me far too much credit. These are droids, Doctor. Useless, domestic droids. And look at what I've done with them. I've created something spectacular; these droids have lives. They feel. At least, they think they do.'

'Why? What's the point of it all?' The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at the door behind him. As Fred listened, she could a sort of buzzing from outside.

'Why, Doctor? I did it because everyone likes to play God. Everyone would like to have their own little doll's house to play with. My race have died out, Doctor. Do you have any idea how that feels? Do you know how alone I am?'

Fred noticed that the Doctor had suddenly gone very still. 'Yes.' He said softly. 'Yes. I understand.' He sighed. 'But I can't let you do this. Your droids know the truth.'

The Prime Minister laughed. 'No they don't, Doctor. Don't you think I've kept this from them?'

The Doctor looked at him sadly.'This is being broadcast. Through those speakers you so conveniently placed around here. They all know. Look out of your window. They've all shut down. That's what's you programmed them to do, isn't it? To shut down if they ever found out? Wise, I think. They might have turned on you.'

The Prime Minister was shell-shocked, pressing himself against the window and gazing down at his precious droids. Fred suddenly felt her heart lurch as wave of sympathy washed over her. For all his faults, he was a lonely old man; the last of his kind. He turned to her and the Doctor.

'What will you do with me?' He swallowed. 'Kill me?'

The Doctor looked at him and laughed sadly. 'No. I don't do that.' He sighed and thought for moment. 'I was going to send you away. Take you with us and leave you on some planet.'

'Please, Doctor. No.'

The Doctor studied him for a moment before saying, 'No. No, I won't.' He stood. 'You should stay here.'

The Prime Minister's face lit up. The Doctor spoke again. 'On one condition.'

'Anything.'

'I can shut down the system. You need to stop influencing these droids. Let them be who they are. Stop trying to create a universal language. Earth isn't like that.'

***

'I...thank you, Doctor.' The Prime Minister said, flushing. 'Not many people would have been so merciful.'

The Doctor laughed as he removed the last piece of the complex whirring system situated under Parliament. 'Well, that's me! The Merciful Doctor.'

'I thought you were the Jolly Doctor.' Fred piped up with a raise eyebrow.

'I'm both! Jolly and merciful. That's me.'

The Prime Minister smiled. 'I thought you were going to kill me.'

The Doctor's grin faded. 'You're the last of your kind.' He placed his hand on the Prime Minister's shoulder. 'I can understand that; the loneliness, the isolation, the...idea that nobody else will ever understand and that you'll never meet one of your kind again. I can understand that. You need company so you can live out the rest of your days in peace.'

Watching the Doctor speaking so sadly, Fred felt a lump rise in her throat. She swallowed and blinked, turning her back on the both of them.

***

'Was it this hot last time?' The Doctor was tugging at his bow-tie as he sweltered in the heat on his way back to the T.A.R.D.I.S. Fred was a few paces behind as usual, the hot non-sand brushing over her feet.

'Yeah, I _reputo is eram_.'

He snorted.

'What?'

'You humans! So weak when it comes to mind-altering chewing gum and sand!'

'What? The sand's mind-altering!'

'Yep. You see, your 'weird sand' comments set us on the path to discovering the truth about the planet Parum Terra!' Fred looked unimpressed. He shrugged. 'Well, it's something to put in your diary, isn't it?'

'Hmm. I suppose.'

'What's wrong with you? We just saved millions of droids from mind alteration. Not a bad day's work.'

'I just...don't feel like I did much. I'm not sure that I'm cut out for this. I can't think quick enough.'

He snorted again. 'Now that's nonsense! If you hadn't got that about the sand being weird or told me that we had different flavour chewing gums this would never have been solved! Tell you what, to cheer you up, you can pick the next place we go.' He dropped his arm around her shoulders and grinned when her face brightened.

'Really? Hang on, why are you being so nice?'

He stopped and smiled at her. '_Quoniam vestri _smile_ est decorus quod is planto mihi gauisus_.'

There was a pause where looked a little embarrassed and she grinned. He cleared his throat and she began to laugh. 'Er...sorry. I don't know why I said that.'

'Ha! Brilliant! Just after you gave ME a lecture on being weak to mind altering drugs. Then you come out and say a whole sentence in another language.'

'Oh!' The Doctor brightened. 'Was it in another language? You don't know what I said? Oh. Well.' He looked awkward again before he flung one arm in the air and said triumphantly, 'Ah! There she is!'

Fred forgot the mystery of the Doctor's lost sentence when she saw the T.A.R.D.I.S.; her legs desperately crying for relief and her hair crying for a wash. Just before he reached the door, the Doctor stopped and gazed down at the sand. Once she had caught up, Fred stopped next to him and looked down too. There, amongst the hot non-sand, were her blue shoes. She grinned and picked them up, feeling as though they were an old friend.

'So you were wearing my socks while we were meeting the Prime Minister and walking through the streets of non-London?' The Doctor asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

'Oh.' Fred said, feeling a little embarrassed and looking down at her feet. 'Yes.'

He grinned and opened the T.A.R.D.I.S. door. 'Come on then. Still plenty more to see.'

Fred beamed at him and slid through the door, still clutching her shoes; a pair of charcoal grey socks on her feet.

* * *

Well, there we are! Their first adventure. Please tell me what you thought of it by reviewing.

I love hearing what you think :)


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